Two Kings on Trial, Both for Life
John 18:33-37
Christ the King Sunday
Rev. Larry Fry
Jesus and Pilate are having a kingly discussion. They both were kings about the same age, yet what a difference. Both had amazing power, yet so different. And their conversation shows how the Kingdom of God is so different from any worldly kingdom. And this story helps us define how to bring God’s kingdom into our worldly kingdoms.
Christ the King Sunday was created as the last day of the Christian year. Next Sunday is the beginning of Advent. Christ the King Sunday helps us see more clearly how we may honor Christ as King over all we do and say. The kingdom of God transcends any earthly kingdom and is at work in every kingdom.
Pilate even made into our Christian creeds: “he suffered under Pontius Pilate.” He was a Roman ruler sent to Judea representing the world’s greatest political power at the time. Even though he is in charge we can imagine that he was not too pleased with this assignment. While his friends who had graduated from whatever training, many of them had cushy jobs in Rome near the spas. Here he was in the middle of a desert trying to maintain order over a rowdy bunch of people who continually threatened revolution.
Pilate came in and tried to straighten out the religious leaders by putting images of Caesar in the Temple. To protest, Caiaphas, the high priest, sent 2000 Jewish men to surround Pilate’s Palace for 6 days. So he took the images out. Then he decided to give Jerusalem a new water supply: that would make everyone happy. But, the money he needed for the project he took it from the Temple Treasury. So there was a revolt and he had any other rebellion. He was so violent that he was called to Rome and was told not to make any more mistakes. And he is about to make the biggest one of his life.
People have told him about Jesus. And what is about to do is built upon rumors. So what does Pilate do with Jesus? First: Is Jesus a king? Pilate does not want to be responsible for more problems. He would like to give this whole mess back to the religious council who brought him this mess. Unless he confesses that he is a political king, there is nothing in Roman law which Jesus violates.
If he releases Jesus the religious leaders will be mad again. He is caught between trouble and trouble. So he has to decide what kind of trouble he can avoid and what kind he can live with. Even though he is still in power, he is terrified and frayed beyond belief.
It is a very interesting dialogue. Jesus is on trial for his life. But the way John writes we can see that it is Pilate who is on trial for his political life and he is scared. Pilate has all the worldly power; Jesus has all the spiritual strength and he is calm, the one without fear.
We can hear Pilate grabbing the power: “Don’t you know I have all the power in the world over you…I can set you free or crucify you.” So are you King or not?
Jesus asks him a very personal question that does not have anything to do with the law. What about you, Pilate? I would like to know you. What do you think? I know what people have been telling you about me. Do you believe it? At that moment Pilate could have opened up and started a new life journey.
Jesus, as a good shepherd king, even tries to gather Pilate into the fold. He could have a more fulfilling life and amazing spiritual growth. But truth for him is totally in the area of political power.
The world since the time of Jesus has seen so many in power act poorly. Kings, tyrants, monarchs, and emperors claim they have God’s blessing, or worse they are gods, to demand complete obedience. Kings see themselves as accountable to no one. We squirm when the news tells us a new world leader is grabbing power.
Jesus always puts people first with politics to serve people. Every society of all time tends to put some people down in order to make thing better for others. Every society founded on money and law and power finds Jesus very troublesome. What changes would our nation make to put people first?
Pilate was about to impose his version of the truth on the situation as he saw it. He would love to get rid of Jesus.
One key to the story is that we all belong to something or someone and Pilate belongs to Rome and Jesus belongs to the kingdom of God. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice. This means Jesus is the truth, he lives the truth, he belongs to the truth. He belongs to God in such a powerful way that the religious leaders of his day saw him as a major threat. And the only reason Pilate thinks he is a threat is that he wanted to keep the religious leaders under control. Pilate does not want trouble. So he tries to find a technicality that will allow him to crucify Jesus. Are you a king? If you are a political king…I will get rid of you.
JESUS DID NOT NEED PILATE TO TELL HIM WHO HE WAS
Jesus knew who he was. Pilate was not so sure. If you do not know who you are there are plenty of people to tell you who you are. Jesus is real, authentic, together. Pilate is frayed, pretend, and with clay feet.
An Amish man was once asked by an enthusiastic evangelist: Are you saved? Have you accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? The man answered….”Why do you ask me that? I could tell you anything. Here is what you need to do. Here are the names of my banker, grocer, my farm hands…ask them if I’ve been saved.”
Jesus could have told Pilate anything. For Pilate, the only truth was what he believed.
In a school district there was a terrible battle between the school board and the teacher’s union. The Superintendent’s son was had a 97% grade average, has gotten high ratings on the tuba, and had the highest scores on the ACT test. But the school board did not like what the Superintendent had done in his attempts to get them through the conflict. So they made certain his son did not get into the National Honor Society. Things like that happen all the time. After a short time of disappointment the son said: “I do not need them to tell me who I am.” And he did not. Jesus did not.
BELONGING
Pilate belongs to the kingdom of fear. And when Jesus asks him a personal question that goes right to the heart….he grabs on to power, pulls rank, and get edgy. Pilate’s kingdom depends on violence, capital punishment, soldiers, torture, and jails.
As I look ahead to the future of our church, I see more children, thank God, who need to know who the are. And as they grow I want them to experience a community that lives out our guiding values. I want them to have help knowing that God-stuff is all around, that guides the human stuff. I want them to know that God puts things in our hands and asks us to make something beautiful. We have the job of bring stuff that is beyond this world right in the middle of the world.
So what is our truth? Is it God’s truth? For Pilate it was what he could impose by law and violence. For Jesus is was to expose God at work in the world. Truth is when we stand with those who need help. Truth is family love around the Thanksgiving Table. Truth is choosing our guiding values and not the ones in the world. Truth is found in self-sacrificial love instead of self-serving power. Truth for Pilate could have meant protecting an innocent man instead of trying to make the others satisfied. If Pilate had protected Jesus he would have been a great leader. He would have given the world something great….instead he crucified greatness.
The world so needs the church to witness to the truth. Without voices of concern, forces arise with a twisted truth and grabbing for power to benefit themselves. The world remains full of violence, poverty, oppression,environmental distress. We have God’s call to make it different. God calls us to transform the world with love…justice, healing. Our Christian faith is what fills to overflowing. The church, to tell the truth, offers us spiritual growth.
We have the opportunity to offer the world, God’s healing presence.
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